The Red Wagon

Ambiance: Hipster, downplayed vibe, like an "I don't care" basic feel

Seating/Wait time: Busy during lunch, there is a communal table for singles, not many seats in the restaurant


Dress Code: No shoes, no shirt, no service!


Crowd: Anyone


Meal: 

Crispy Pork Belly Sandwich
Pickled vegetables, jalapeno, cilantro, mayo, baguette, chips
$10.50

Personal Remarks:  With the spectacular reviews and recommendations I was expecting to have my mind BLOWN***.  Instead, it was just ~meh!  But don't hate me Red Wagon, I'll be back to try something else, hopefully, I'll get mind F***** the second time around.


It was the boys day, and we decided to come here and see what all the buzz was about.  It was recommended that there is nothing worth trying here unless it had pork on it.  There were only 2 choices, this crispy pork sandwich or the pancakes.  We came here at 2:00pm.  It felt too late for pancakes so we all ordered a crispy pork sandwich.

The menu didn't have pictures so we had no idea what to expect.  It turns out a western crispy pork belly sandwich means the same thing as a Vietnamese bun.  Not impressed!


Paying $10.50 for a Vietnamese sandwich, it better be freaking amazing.  It just wasn't, I could have went next door and ordered 3 and got a discount on the 3rd sandwich for the same price.  

The crispy pork belly is what you would get at a Chinese butcher shop up the street at John's Market .  Except here they cut the meat away and you just get the skin and fat.  


This is a simplified Vietnamese sandwich, the only difference is, they use "crispy pork belly".  The bun wasn't toasted like a Vietnamese sandwich and by the time the chips came out, they were cold.  


This dish was extremely fatty and when you're eating it you can feel the fat drip down your hands.  The taste is there, but it's definitely not worth $10.50.


I would not order this dish again, and I don't recommend you trying it either.   The ingredients are so simple that you're better off making this yourself at home.   For the same price you can re-create this dish yourself.  


Let's do the math, you order the Vietnamese sandwich next door for $3.75, go to John's Market to buy the crispy pork belly for $5.00.  You go home and replace the meat from the Vietnamese sandwich, cut out only the skin and fat and stick that into your Vietnamese sandwich.  You not only saved money, but you have leftover meat for later.  The chips here are nothing special anyways.  You can use the left over money to buy yourself a drink up too.


You are better off trying another dish on the menu.

Value: 2/5 Overall: 3/5